First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers. Samuel Morris Publishing, 2023.
What were the most important practices in the early church? In this volume, Michael Cooper arranges the writings of the Apostolic Fathers into eight themes that provide deeper understanding about the subjects important to the disciples of the New Testament apostles. First Christian Voices examines the written testimonies of the late first and second centuries to discover what animated the church in the face of internal and external struggles and growth as the gospel extended to the boundaries of the Roman Empire.
Editor (with Kathryn Richards Bhatia) and Contributor. Social Injustice, Volume 2: Evangelical Voices in a Tumultuous World. Ephesiology Press, 2021.
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Social justice has become a polarizing term that has set Christians against each other. Contributing to the confusion are social theories such as critical theory and critical race theory where social justice tends to focus on opposing systemic issues in which an oppressor group has disadvantaged other groups. Such theories, when applied by Christians, tend to lean toward a form of liberation theology decried by many conservative evangelicals (Tisby 2019; Frame 2015). Nevertheless, social justice as a nomenclature expressing Christian action in social issues continues to find credence historically among many evangelicals. For example, writing during the turbulent times of the 1960s, one of the leading evangelical voices of the day expressed, “In an hour of widespread revolution, when political forces are reshaping the larger frontiers of modern life, the Church’s concern with the problem of social justice is especially imperative” (Carl F.H. Henry, Aspects of Christian Social Ethics).
Social Injustice, Volume II: Evangelical Voices in Tumultuous Times is organized according to five broad categories integral to engaging issues of social justice: Discipleship, Politics, Race, Mental Health, and Community Development. In each category we offer evangelical voices who focus their unique area of expertise or perspective to the subjects at hand.
A Faithful Witness: Lessons from the Third Century Church for Times of Political, Economic, and Social Turmoil. Ephesiology Press, 2021.
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During the third century, a time of tremendous social upheaval when famine, plagues, and existential threats to the empire were the reality of the day, a bishop who suffered through three persecutions wrote a commentary on the book of Revelation. His hope: to encourage the church to be a faithful witness. A Faithful Witness explores Bishop Victorinus’ The Commentary on the Apocalypse by the Blessed John. The first commentary on the book of Revelation in the early church, it calls the church to allegiance to Jesus Christ. Dr. Cooper weaves the story of a body of believers suffering through desperate times in the Roman Empire into the story of the church in our day. With thought provoking personal reflection questions, A Faithful Witness will challenge you to consider what it means to live the Christian life during tumultuous times.
Ephesiology: A Study of the Ephesian Movement. Littleton, CO: William Carey Publisher, 2020.
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The city of Ephesus was the site of the most significant church-planting movement in the early church, with 40 percent of the New Testament texts relating to it. What made that city the epicenter of the movement? And how can we replicate sustained movements in a world that feels so different? This is not another methodology or attempt to re-contextualize evangelicalism. Rather, it is a journey from the launch of the church in Ephesus as it became a movement grounded in God’s mission and led by those who multiplied generations of disciples. Michael T. Cooper focuses on Paul and John as missiological theologians who successfully connected Jesus’s teaching with the cultural context and narrative of the people in Ephesus. Their ability to relate the God of all creation to a people who sought him in vain resulted in “the Way” transforming the religious, intellectual, economic, and social fabrics of the Ephesian society. Ephesiology offers a comprehensive view of the redemptive movement of the Holy Spirit in this city and compels us to ask the question: how can we effectively connect Christ to our culture? Through this study of a movement, discover how the Holy-Spirit still changes lives, cities, and the world.
When Evangelicals Sneeze: Curing the American Church from the Plague of Identity Loss. Ephesiology Press, 2020.
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Has American evangelicalism lost its identity and sense of purpose? Who will define American evangelicalism in the 21st century? The kaleidoscopic diversity of opinions within evangelicalism betrays a lack of unity if not confusion about its primary mission.If you are puzzled by the religious landscape of the United States or simply trying to understand the evangelical fascination with conservative politics then you will be challenged to consider how American evangelicalism can be restored to the historic identity and heritage marked by Jesus’ own desire for His church: The Great Commandment, the Great Compassion, and the Great Commission. In this accessible and sometimes academic book, Michael Cooper leads you in an honest and open evaluation with where American evangelicalism has strayed from the first century church. The influence of the American church continues to be felt around the world so it is no exaggeration when Cooper exclaims, “When the American church sneezes, the world catches a cold.” His goal is to be sure that this virus is not fatal.Through this study of American evangelicalism, discover a restored identity for a church whose very presence in society draws people’s attention to Jesus Christ, not to a political platform.
Crises and the Church: Lessons from History. Ephesiology Press, 2020. With Matt Till.
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This little yet profound book considers the impact of plagues and persecutions on the early church. By looking specifically at the first century persecutions, the first century “global” famine, and two later plagues – Antonine and Cyprian – we will draw the conclusion that the church was prepared to stay on mission during these difficulties and emerged on the other side without changing her mission trajectory from when she entered the crises. The challenge for the global church today is to wrestle with the question of what trajectory have we been on and where might we emerge on the other side of COVID-19? That trajectory does not look positive. With the global decline of Christianity largely due to population growth as well as several other salient factors, Christianity will be outpaced by Islam in the 2050s. Nevertheless, if we make mission critical adjustments now, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and equip the saints for works of ministry then we can impact the future growth of the church.
Unwrapping the First Christmas. Ephesiology Press, 2019.
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Have you ever wondered about the origins of Christmas and the traditions celebrated in Western cultures? What about the myth of the jolly, old fellow who flies with incredible speed in a sleigh pulled by eight tiny reindeer? What about the story of St. Nicholas of Myra and his remarkable generosity? And, what about those remarkable events surrounding the Nativity? Are they trustworthy or just fanciful stories. Unwrapping the First Christmas is a little book that helps readers answer these questions and many more. Written for Christians around the world, Unwrapping the First Christmas shares the origins of many Western traditions and myths like the Christmas tree, mistletoe, and Santa Claus that have found their way into popular culture and often distract people from the very first Christmas. After explaining the American fascination with Santa Claus and the origins of traditional Christmas, Dr. Cooper explains the case for the date of the very first Christmas as well as answers the questions about the heavenly host and star of Bethlehem. In the end, he shares four Advent devotionals that will inspire you and your family to learn about the true story of the birth of Jesus. To challenge your understanding of the Christmas story, he provides a fun test that families and friends can use around the Christmas tree to test their knowledge of what is the most remarkable miracle in the history of humanity.
God’s Mission in the World: A Simple Study of the Bible’s Grand Narrative for Oral Learners. Ephesiology Press, 2019.
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God’s Mission in the World is a study of God’s movement throughout history to reconcile our relationship with Him. It is a Christ centered approach of looking at the intersection of the Old Testament with the New Testament in God’s redemptive plan of salvation completed in Jesus. This narrative approach provides oral preference teachers and learners with the grand story of the Bible.
Editor (with William J. Moulder) and Contributor, Social Injustice, Volume I: What Evangelicals Need to Know about the World. Lake Forest: The Timothy Center Press, 2011.
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Written by leading evangelical scholars, Social Injustice, Volume I: What Evangelicals Need to Know about the World explores the Christian heritage of social justice from biblical, historical, and missiological perspectives.
William Moulder and Michael Cooper have done us a great service in compiling these essays on justice from an evangelical perspective. The first three essays in this timely and important book lay out the biblical, theological and historical foundations of justice. The next seven essays address the practical application of biblical principles of justice to a wide range of issues in the global context: (1) human trafficking in India; (2) bioethics and exploitation in the global medical enterprise; (3) education and freedom in Ethiopia; (4) the care of Haitian orphans: (5) literacy in Afghanistan; (6) food production and our relationship to the land as a gift from God; and (7) membership rights.
The ten chapters will challenge Christians to consider their role in stepping into social justice issues from a distinctly evangelical position. The topic is of considerable importance to the ongoing mission of God in the world. With increasing numbers of millennials and Gen Zs focused on their contribution to global change, Social Injustice provides a solid theological foundation for engaging some of the most important social issues of our day.
Editor (with Clifford Williams) and Contributor, The Peaceable Christian: Five Evangelicals Reflect on Peace. Lake Forest: The Timothy Center Press, 2011.
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In The Peaceable Christian, you will read some new perspectives and arguments for understanding how Christians might approach the use of violence—how we might slow down our apparent quickness to use violence, and instead, while properly confronting evil and injustice, set peacemaking as the ultimate goal. This is a book that explores how politics may overly shape current Christian thinking on this subject. And in response the authors argue that biblical and theological thinking should be the starting point for understanding our political responses to peace and war, not vice versa.
Contemporary Druidry: A Historical and Ethnographic Study. Salt Lake City: Sacred Tribes Press, 2010.
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Michael T. Cooper’s Contemporary Druidry: A Historical and Ethnographic Study is a profoundly sensitive account of a pagan identity from an evangelical Christian researcher. The work amounts to an interfaith breakthrough. Not only a sympathetic and enlightening understanding of Druidry itself, but Cooper also manages to open the possibilities of intellectual and empathetic exchange between a pagan position and a Christian one. Comfortably grounded with a balance of sociological tools and understandings, Cooper’s remarkably human and informative narrative holds appeal to the insider as well as outsider, to the generally curious as well as those with specific interest.
Editor and Contributor, Perspectives on Post-Christendom Spiritualties: Reflections on New Religious Movements and Western Spiritualities. Sydney, Australia: Morling Press, 2010.
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Religion continues to play a significant role in the spiritual marketplace of the religiously unregulated West. The corresponding decline of religious fervor once associated with the secularization thesis is challenged by the notion that a significant majority of Westerners identify themselves as religious and/or spiritual. Today’s Christian will be confronted with multiple religious worldviews, whether in ministry, the workplace or their neighborhood. Developing the academic knowledge and practical skills to effectively engage these worldviews is a necessary part of equipping Christians to engage their local and global contexts.
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